Troutbeck Inn Cottages

Location is next to a pub, which serves great food. The cottage is clean and comfortable. Having two bathrooms, one for each bedroom is a bonus. The shower water was always nice and hot and both showers had good water pressure. The beds were comfortable. I did not cook in the cottage, but there appeared to be good utensils etc (although a glass dish for roasting/ paste bake etc would be a welcome addition). There is parking next to the cottage. Ullswater is 15/20 minutes away, and places to visit include Aira Force, Pooley Bridge, Glenridding and Patterdale, and lots of walking in the area, including Gow Barrow Fell and the Ullswater way (a walking route).

There is no Wi-Fi at the property, only in the pub next door. This is detailed on the booking site, so this is not a complaint, but it would be good for the hosts to look into this, as Wi-Fi in the accommodation is always appreciated. There was no 'welcome pack' i.e. no tea/ coffee/ sugar in the kitchen, or a pint of milk in the fridge. This can be helpful to some guests, who have not been able to visit the shop prior to their arrival or may not have brought anything with them. This is especially the case given that the cottage is at least 20 minutes drive from the nearest shop in Glenridding. The cottage can get cold, but when the heating is on, it does warm up well. The heating/ boiler system is however quite noise and may interrupt some peoples sleep, if the boiler is activated in the night or early morning etc. The welcome pack advises that guests must refrain from using any cleaning chemicals, such as bleach, as the cottage has its own water treatment system and certain chemicals can interfere with the treatment process. As this was a specific request (or constraint), I would have expected there to be suitable cleaning products next to the toilets, (eco friendly etc), but there were none supplied (perhaps they were in a cupboard and I missed them). In a self catering cottage, particularly one that may have specific guidelines attached, I would expect at least some toilet/ bathroom cleaning products to be available as there can be occasions when a guest needs to clean something themselves. I would add that there was an eco friendly washing up liquid supplied, which was welcomed. We were also unsure as to whether your personal hygiene products (shower gel & shampoo) were ok, but of course had no choice but to use these. Perhaps a dispenser of soap in the bathroom and kitchen, which contains suitable product in line with treatment restrictions would be helpful.